Transparent or translucent shoe heel



June 30, 1942. J. BOLTEN ETAL 2,288,388

TRANSPARENT 0R TRANSLUCENT SHOE HEEL Filed Sept. 19, 1940 lhvenTors.

Uohn BolTen RoberTHGoldbqum Anys.

Patented June 30, 1942 TRANSPARENT OR TRANSLUCENT SHOE HEEL J olm Bolten, Andover, Mass., and Robert H. Goldbaum, Plaistow, N. H.

Application September 19, 1940, Serial No. 357,344

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe heels moulded from plastic material which preferably will be transparent or translucent, and the object of the invention is to provide an integral moulded shoe heel, preferably for ladies shoes, provided with one or more wide cavities extending downwardly from the heel seat of the shoe a substantial distance into the heel and located in proximity to the curved peripheral portion of the heel and preferably having an outer wall complementary thereto, the heel having provided a homogeneous central integral heel seat portion to receive the nails which attach the heel to the shoe, thereby materially reducing the weight of the heel and presenting visible recessed surfaces which enhance the appearance of the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide the central nail-receiving area with means, preferably a surface, presenting closely associated angularly disposed faces adapted when engaged by the points of the nails when they are driven into the shoe to prevent lateral deflection of the nail such as might occur if the points of the nails encountered a smooth heel seat surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe heel of the character described in which the outer walls of the cavity or cavities present irregular, preferably corrugated, light-reflecting surfaces which will act to hide the nails from view when the heel is attached to the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide the cavities with walls which are colored or tinted or otherwise treated thereby both to hide the nails and further to enhance the appearance of the heel.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a shoe heel embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same viewed toward the breast of the heel;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 Fig. 3.

The drawing illustrates a conventional form of heel for ladies shoes and of course may be made in any desirable style. It comprises an integral body I of plastic or preferably thermo-plastic moulded material having a suitable curved contour upon the breast of the heel around the back thereof. This integral heel is preferably provided with a plurality of spaced cavities located symmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal plane of the shoe and suitably spaced apart. As illustrated in the drawing large cavities 2 and 3 are spaced apart by an integral web 4 and cavities 5 and 6 are respectively spaced apart from the cavities 2 and 3 by integral webs l and 8.

The outer walls of the respective cavities desirably are substantially complementary to the curved outer surfaces of the heel and extend a substantial distance into the heel. The portion 9 of the heel intermediate of the cavities is adapted to receive and firmly hold the nails by which the heel is attached to the shoe. The heel seat desirably is provided with means preferably a surface presenting angularly disposed walls which when engaged by the point of the nail being driven into the heel will prevent outward lateral deflection of the nail such as might occur if the heel seat presented a smooth fiat surface. As illustrated herein the surface of the heel seat is provided with ribs I0 and II which cross each other in angular relation and preferably are at right angles to each other so that if a nail, when driven in at an angle to the heel seat as is usual, engages a flat surface perpendicular to the plane thereof it will continue its course without deflection, whereas if it engages a surface at an angle it will be diverted inwardly into the body of the material.

The heel if desired may also be provided with a vertical cavity or recess 12 adapted to merge into a continuing recess I 3 which extends to the bottom of the shoe heel.

The heel will preferably be made of transparent or translucent material and desirably the walls of the recesses 2 and 3, 5 and 6, are provided with irregular, preferably downwardly converging corrugated light-reflecting surfaces l4 adapted when the heel is viewed from the exterior to hide or camouflage the nail and to enhance the appearance of the shoe.

If desired the walls of the recesses may be tinted, or provided with colored material, or sand blasted or otherwise treated, to further enhance the appearance of the heel by reflection, re fraction, or absorption of light. The drawing is conventionally lined to suggest the color yellow or gold, but it will be understood that any desirable color may be employed.

It is to be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive of the meaning and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A moulded integral shoe heel formed of plastic material having one or more wide cavities I located in proximity to the curved peripheral portion of the heel on opposite sides of the longitudinal central plane of the heel and extending a substantial distance downwardly from the heel seat and providing a central integral heel seat portion of sufiicient area to receive the nails for attaching the heel to the shoe, and havin a reticulated heel seat surface presenting closely associated angularly disposed surfaces acting to avoid deflection of the nail when driven into the heel seat.

2. A moulded shoe heel formed of translucent or transparent thermoplastic material provided with one or more large spaced cavities having outer walls within and complementary to adja cent curved surfaces of the heel and extending a substantial distance downwardly from the heel seat providing a central integral heel seat portion of sufficient area to receive the nails for attaching the heel to the shoe, the walls of said recesses having irregular light-reflecting surfaces exterior of the nail-receiving portion acting to hide the nails when the heel is attached to the shoe.

3. A moulded shoe heel formed of translucent thermoplastic material provided with a plurality of large cavities spaced apart from each other and having outer walls within and complementary to adjacent curved surfaces of the heel and extending a substantial distance downwardly from the heel seat providing a central integral heel seat portion of sufficient area to receive the nails for attaching the heel to the shoe, the walls of said recesses having downwardly extending corrugations presenting light-reflecting surfaces acting to hide the nails when the heel is attached to the shoe.

4. A moulded heel formed of plastic material provided with one or more cavities having walls within the curved surfaces of the heel and extending a substantial distance into the heel, the walls of said recesses presenting sand blasted surfaces to enhance the appearance of the heel and to hide the nails when the heel is attached to the shoe.

JOHN BOLTEN. ROBERT H. GOLDBAUM. 

